Life
by LonelyMuse
Summary: What is life? What does it feel like, smell like, taste like? And what happens when the sweet vitality of life is slowly stolen away by the simple shadow of death...


**I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while now and decided to finally turn it into something that I hope is worth reading (and reviewing *cough cough*) This story does contain yaoi, so you have been warned!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. If I did, there would be quite a few, ah, _differences_ here and there (insert slightly manic giggle here)**

You're screams, your sweet, sweet screams, a beautiful melody ringing in my ears. Your pain, a slow poison, running through my blood, intoxicating. More than that, your scent, your flavor, your taste, all swirling in my head, intoxicating my soul. Your crimson eyes, wide in horror, filled with an undeniable pain, fear, and hatred. All for me, of course.

Oh, how strange it was, when I saw you walk into the room. You were not the one I was supposed to kill, not the Hero clad in green, not that I minded in the least. Casting around with those stunning red eyes, concealed beneath feathery blond hair, taking in the endless illusion of water and mist. You didn't see me, of course, hidden in the shadow of the lone tree, watching, just watching.

But you were confused, that much was obvious. I too, was confused. Why were you here? Where was my light, the one I was truly supposed to fight? But again, I didn't care, didn't care at all really, to pursue these thoughts. You were here, he was not. I would take what fun and amusement this dim prison of a room had to offer.

And so, after a cautious look around once more, you lightly stepped into the water that covered the floor, barely making a sound, the tiniest splash. You crossed quickly to the island, examining the tree, but not its shadow. Had you truly searched for me, you probably could have seen me, waiting in the darkness, my blood red eyes following your every graceful step. And how lovely you looked! How interesting you were! The first living thing I had seen, beside Ganondorf. I had been created, by him, told what to do and put in this room to wait. And now here you were, not the one I was waiting for but so interesting nonetheless. I could feel the pulse of life racing through your body, heightened in fear but of what you didn't know.

The tree, there was nothing interesting about the dead tree on the dull little isle, nothing that you could see anyways, and you moved on, passing mere inches from the shadow. I could have touched you, so close you were. But I didn't, not yet. Still I just watched, fascinated by the way you moved, swift and nimble, lithe and flowing, watched as you made your way to the door, the silver mist swirling around you, caressing and clinging to your skin.

You reached the door, only to find the way blocked, iron bars barricading the way for you. Your body turned, the one crimson eye visible narrowed in suspicion and confusion. Slowly, you made your back to the island, oh so slowly, searching for any sign of life in the otherwise dead room. But there was nothing else, just you and me. But was I even alive the way you were? I wasn't sure. As you came closer and closer I could feel the mortality, the vitality, pouring off of your skin. The warmth that came with being alive. Did I have that same warmth, the same life beating through my veins? I didn't think so, I couldn't feel it, but I wondered, what it felt like, what life felt like, what it smelled like, tasted like…

Your back was to me, you didn't see the shadows break apart, form into something real and tangible. But you did hear it, the tiny pat of my foot against earth. You whipped around, and your crimson eyes locked with mine even as you drew a dagger from where it lay hidden in the bandages around your wrist.

I felt amusement on my face, along with curiosity, as you threw the dagger, and disappeared back into the shadows and you gave the smallest gasp of surprise. How silly of you, to think you could catch me, actually harm me. But the surprise on your face, how alive you looked! It was fascinating, the way your breath quickened the way fear washed over your body, mingling with the mortality. From the shadows I arose behind you, having a moment to admire you from behind, the lines of your back, tense and strained. And than the slightest shiver ran up your spine, shaking your lithe frame, before you froze, totally and completely. You started to turn, another dagger already in hand, and I couldn't help the strange little giggle that broke from my lips. My lips! The first noise I had made since being placed in this illusion of a room, and how strange it had felt. But again, the way you tried to defend yourself, to stop me was too amusing for my mind which had slowly been losing it's sanity for every day, every hour, every minute that I was held up in this place.

And so, even as you turned, raising your dagger to stab a deadly blow, I merely laughed, something dark and eerie, knocking the dagger easily from your hand and in a moment your back was against the lone tree, your hands pinned above your head, trapped easily in one of mind.

Behind your eyes was fear. You were scared, what was going to happen now? You struggled against my grip, but it was useless, almost pitiful, your weak strength compared to mine. Is that what life was, weakness? Is that why I was so strong, had so much power, because I was lacking that vitality?

I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, musing instead on you. Now that I've got you trapped, there's a certain sense of elation that comes from holding life in your hands. My curiosity was burning now that I was this close. I could smell you, smell life, sweet and intoxicating dripping off of your skin. I closed my eyes at the scent, taking it in. How different it was from the smell of death and decay!

_Oof! _

There was a sharp pain, the result of a knee being jerked into a stomach and I stumbled back more in surprise than pain, releasing my grip on you. Quickly you ducked around me, running where I don't know. There was no where to run, and you were completely trapped, but you ran nonetheless. I sighed, impatient with you, my new and interesting toy of sorts. Your smell lingered, tickling my senses, but I wanted more than that.

I turned, following your lithe form as it raced through the mist to some unknown destination, as if you would find somewhere that you could hide, that would be safe. I sunk into the shadows, slithered through them, stalking my prey. From the darkness I reached up, grabbing one of your slim ankles and I watched as you lost your footing and with a loud splash broke the waters surface. I rose from the shadows, leaping on top of you, using my weight to keep your body, your arms pinned to the ground.

I could feel your warmth through the soaked cloth that you wore. Golden hair flowed out around your head like a halo, surprisingly long and no longer hidden by the strange turban, as it had come loose in the fall. And those eyes, both eyes, no longer concealed behind a sheet of hair stared up at me, and I could see myself reflected there, because that's what I was, a dark reflection of a light hero. Black tunic, black boots, black hat. Charcoal hair as opposed to golden and blood red eyes as opposed to sapphire. Vaguely I wondered whether you knew the hero, most likely you did, and what you thought, looking up into the familiar face of a stranger. But I wondered this for only a moment, before my mind was pulled back to the matter at hand, the smell of life beginning to work its way into my mind once again. I wanted to know what it felt like. Needed to know what it tasted like. Cocking my head to the side, I reached out with a hand, and I saw the panic in your eyes, but pushed on anyways, my hand pulling down the cowl that had been concealing the bottom half of your face. I marveled at the perfection, let my hand linger at your cheek, lightly stroking the soft skin of your cheek. How soft! Much softer than my skin, much softer than death. You winced, as though my touch burned, and I frowned, ignoring it. My hands strayed from your cheek, passing over soft, pink lips, softer than the skin of your cheek, and again I wondered…

Slowly, I lowered my face to yours, my eyes still opened and locked curiously on yours. You tried to pull away but I braced my other hand behind your head, keeping it in place as I lightly pressed my lips to yours, which trembled at the pressure, not that I cared. What I did care about was the flavor, one hundred times more intoxicating than just your scent. And the feel, was wonderful. But you! So unresponsive, so unmoving, I deepened the kiss, wanting more, to taste more, feel more, forcing your lips apart, tasting your breath as it swirled into my mouth, making my head spin in bliss. So this was what life tasted like! My tongue explored your mouth, and I could still feel you struggle beneath my hold, desperate to get away. But I wouldn't let that happen, you just tasted so wonderful.

A burst of pain, and a wash of metallic and salt filled my mouth. I lifted my mouth from yours, scowling down at you as I raised a hand to gently probe my lips. My finger came away red, and I licked my lip, tasting the blood there, and a new thought found it's way into my mind. What would life _really _taste like?

Apparently the slightly manic look that lighted my eyes didn't go unnoticed by you, and you froze in response as I again placed my lips against yours, trailing kisses along your jaw and down your neck , tasting the sweetness on your skin, so much nicer than anything I had ever experienced before. And than there, just at the base of your neck, your pulse, beating out a fast rhythm to match each breath you took, and I smiled against your skin, liking the feel of life flowing just beneath the surface.

You let out a gasp of pain and surprise as my teeth sunk into your soft skin, breaking it open easily. I felt the warmth of your blood, your life spill into my mouth, the flavor an explosion so unlike anything else, making my head spin, making me dizzy. I pulled away, licking my lips, watching a small stream of blood flow down your neck, into the shallow water, making crimson patterns on the waters surface before diluting into clouded shapes of red.

I looked at your face, your eyes shut tight in pain, disgust, both, I didn't know, I didn't care. I wondered what it would look like, to see rivulets of red running down your sweet smelling body, painting pretty patterns over the skin, across the water. I reached down to your wrist, pulling on the bandages, finding one last dagger hidden there.

You were trembling now, as I pulled out the dagger, running my finger along its edge and looking at the slice it made there as a single drop of red formed. Again I smiled, anticipating the beauty I was about to see. I didn't know where to start. I didn't really want to touch your pretty face, to scar it. Not that it would matter in the end, most likely, but still, I wouldn't mar its beauty if I didn't have to. Instead I used the dagger to cut away the top of the strange, blue exo-skeleton like armor you wore, revealing near flawless skin beneath. So smooth, so soft. What would it look like painted in red? What happened to life when it was coated in blood?

I looked up at your face once more, as I set the tip of the dagger lightly against the skin just beneath your color bone. Your face had gone pale, your lips trembling more than before. Those lips, their touch still ghosted on my own. I pressed my lips down roughly upon yours as I pressed the dagger into your skin, drawing a line across your shoulder and down your arm. It surprised me when your mouth opened in response, letting out a small moan, full of pain, but even so, it captivated me, just like everything else. I knew your smell, the flavor of your skin, the feel of your lips. But what you sounded like, what beautiful sounds could life create?

My lips, still pressed against yours, reveling in your taste and feel, bit down on your lip, with just enough pressure to cause a bit of blood to rise up, adding to the sensations already peaking in my mouth. But as much as I loved this, this taste and feel, I pulled my head away. Sound, that's what I wanted now, more sound, and to see the crimson patterns spread across the waters surface.

Experimentally, I lifted the dagger and placed it beneath your color bone on the opposite side, pressing it in harder than before. I frowned when I received nothing more than a sharp intake of breath. That wasn't good enough, most definitely not. I wondered just how loud life could be…

I dragged the dagger down this arm, watching the blood well to the surface and spill over, trickling down your arm and flowing into the water, clouding its clear surface. But still, you made no more sound, and my frown deepened. I moved the dagger to your chest, carving patterns of crimson into your skin, not hard enough to elicit any sound, but at the moment I was content to watch the blood seep from your skin, spill into the water. I leaned down once more, reveling in its sweet taste.

I decorated your torso in swirling designs of red, and watched, as you twitched and winced beneath me, as vitality leaked from your skin. But my ever growing curiosity still wanted the sound, the music of your voice to ring in my ears. And with that I placed the dagger just beneath your shoulder, pushing the blade deeply into your arm, almost to the hilt and watched the deep red well up around it. I was rewarded with a whimper of pain, and it was like I was addicted to the sound, the sound of dying life. I twisted the dagger ever so slightly in your arm, as your whimpers turned to moans, and I smiled at the sound, a twisted melody to my sadistic ears.

I pulled the blade from your arm and gave you no time to prepare for the next plunge, as I buried the blade into your side, dragging it down the side of your stomach in a jagged line. You screamed this time and I wanted more. The smell of blood was beginning to cloy the air, and I lightly licked the blood from your skin as I pushed the blade into the other side of your stomach, mirroring what I had just done moments before, twisting the blade this way and that as I drew a line deeply down the side of your body. Each jerk of the dagger accompanied by a scream of agony.

So much blood! Who knew that life was so full of the beautiful and addictive substance? Again and again I raked the blade across your already bloody body just to hear the shrieks and screams that would rip from your throat with each slice. I tasted your lips again as your life bled away, silencing the screams, allowing only pain filled moans to escape from your mouth into mine. I still trailed kisses, licks, across your body. And as I did, I noticed something. The pulse that had been at first been so quick, so full of vitality, had become so faint, as had your breathing. Even as I dragged the tip of the dagger across your skin, tracing a straight line from the center of your chest down to your naval, your screams were weak, fading away into breathless groans.

So this was what life was like, when it was at its end, when it was being consumed by death. This is what mortality looked like, so much blood clouded in water, turning it a murky crimson. How interesting life was, so vibrant and exciting one moment and so easily overshadowed and destroyed by death the next.

You were barely breathing, shallow little gasps, and quickly I covered your lips with my own, sucking the little bit of life that was left out of you. A shudder ran through your body, and than one last sigh sent the last breath of life swirling into my mouth. Life fled from your body, fled from this accursed room, leaving only death behind, leaving only decay.

I lifted my head to look down at your now peaceful face. Your life had tasted so good, had been full of sensations unmatched. Idly I wondered if all life tasted as good as yours did. I left your body, lying in the water, in the blood that was the only sign that life had ever existed in this room, and retreated into the shadows, waiting for the Hero, wondering, just wondering as I waited, if his life would taste any different.

**So, what did you think? Please tell me, this is my first fanfic and I would love some feedback!**


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